7th New Hampshire KIA at Ft. Wagner Writes of the ‘Crackers’ of South Carolina

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005

Autograph Letter Signed “H.W. Baker” Lt. 7th New Hampshire Infantry, Killed at Fort Wagner, 8p. folio, St. Augustine, Florida, February 18, 1863, and reads in part: “....I, too, glory in being a Yankee, and glory in proclaiming it here, where the very word is detested...I see them here, eating the bread of charity and that charity coming from government that they have disowned, a government that their husbands, sons, brothers, and lovers are now in arms against - do it unblushingly and clamor about their rights!! Every mouthful ought to choke them. Yankee though I be, I would grow my finger nails for a dinner, sooner than accept it of a man that I hated as they profess to hate us....We only garrison this old town, hel ‘Old Abe’ reposses Fort Marion and prevent this post being a use to Secessia....More than 100 of our men have died since the Regt. was organized. The climate works noislessly but its victims are as sure as those claimed by the bullet...We have built entrenchments to prevent a rebel dash from that direction as there are prowling bands of guerillas between us and the St. Johns. They sometimes show themselves on the otherside of the river, or on the Jacksonville wall, but they are sneaking scoundrals, used more to keep up the reign of terror in the country back of us, than with any design to operate against us. The country is very favorable for their operations...Occassionaly there are patches of tolerably fertile soil on these are settled a race of people calling themselves white - a race peculiar to the South and called by the cotton lords ‘Crackers’ - by the negroes ‘poor white trash.’ They are poor, ignorant and chiefly vicious. They work but little some own a few negroes, they raise corn, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, cattle, horses and hogs. The livestock (excepting the negroes) runs at large in the woods...Since we have been here, there has been three companies of these guerillas in this region, sometimes between us and the St. Johns, at others hovering about the vicinity of Jacksonville. Once a week, a gunboat goes up the river, to prevent batteries being built along its shores. These fellows have a wholesome respect for the Gunboats, when they show themselves these valiant horseman ‘skeddadle’ for the back country to come back when the boat is gone...” Much more. Fine.

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